Metal band



Oct. 1, 1929. J. LEON 1,7

METAL BAND Filed Dec. 12, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 1, 1929. J. LEON 1,729,661

METAL BAND Filed Dec. 12, 1927 2 sheets sheet 2 Emma, m"

. I I J Patented (let. 1, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT METAL BAND Application filed December 12, 1927. Serial No. 239,419.

In the manufacture of bird-cages, it has been the general practice heretofore to make in one piece each of the several rings or bands which surround the cage body for supporting the wires and holding them spaced apart.

The wires extend through holes or apertures which are drilled. or punched in these bands.

It has also been the general practice to make these bands from fiat wire, which is expensive, and the expense has been further increased by being required to drill or punch the apertures in these bands for the wires and to insert or thread the wires through the holes by hand. Moreover, these bands being in one-piece formation, the length of each band has been limited to the particular size of cage body for which it is out. This has been one of the hindrances to the making of cage bodies by automatic machinery.

The object of my invention is to make these bands of link formation. Each band is made up of a multiplicity of links which on being connected end to end complete the band and permit it being made to any desired length. The links are connected together with their ends overlapping and with the wires tightly clamped between them on securing the ends of the links together. This greatly reduces the expense of the construction by eliminating 3 the necessity of drilling or punching holes through which the wires must extend. The links may have their overlapping ends secured together and about the wires in any suitable manner, as by sweating or soldering or by the use of tongues on the respective links with the tongues either riveted to or bent over and clinched against the adjacent links. hatever the form of connection, the links may be stamped or formed from the desired sheet material and be secured together with the wires clamped between by automatic machinery, thereby greatly reducing the costof bird-cage manufacture while at o the same time increasing the production.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter described and claimed.

in the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front view of a bird-cage having one or more of the bands of the cage body made up of links in accordance with my inventlon;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the cage body on line 22 of Fig. 1 and showing diagrammatically the link formation of one of the bands;

Fig. is an enlarged front view of several of the links connected together with the wires clamped between them;

Fig. l is a top plan view of the assembly shown in Fig. 3, with the wires in section;

F ig. 5 illustrates the manner in which the links are applied to each other about the wires;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the links;

Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 show another form of link formation with the views similar to Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of still another form of link; and

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of several links of Fig. 11 connected together with the wires clamped between them.

The bird-cage shown in Fig. 1 has a cage body 1 and a base 2, the latter being connected with the lower end of the body in any desired manner. The several rings or bands 3, 3 about the cage body for supporting the upwardly extending wires 4, 4: and holding them in properly spaced relation are made up of a multiplicity of relatively short links connected or secured together with the wires clamped between them in accordance with my invention.

Three different forms of links are shown in the drawings, and in all of the forms the links are relatively narrow and are arranged and secured together with their ends overlapping and with the several wires of the cage body clamped between said overlapping ends.

In the form shown in Figs. 3 to 6, each link is cut or stamped from sheet material, which may be sheet metal of relatively light gage, as required for bird-cage manufacture. Each link has a body portion 5, which is pro vided at its opposite ends with a centrally disposed tongue or projection 6. The tongues 6, 6 extend laterally from the link on opposite sides thereof, and just inside of the til tongues (3 the body portion of the link is bulged outward on opposite sides thereof to form channels or groves 7, 7 which extend crosswise ot the link and open on opposite sides of the same. The body portion of the link between the channels 7, 7 may be flat, as shown, and is pierced adjacent each channel 7 to provide an aperture or hole 8.

lVhen assembling the links 5 to form a band, the channels 7, 7 at the overlapping ends of the links engage about the adjacent wires 4: which make up the cage body. The tongues 6, 6 on the links are on opposite-sides of these wires and extend through the associated holes 8, 8 in the associated links. The outer ends of the tongues 6, 6 are then upset or riveted to bind the links together and clamp the wires 4': in the channels between them. The links are thus held from endwise displacement and, by reason of the fact that the wires 4, 1 are clamped tightly between the links in the channels 7, the links are prevented from sliding up or down the wires. The links 5 may be all made of uniform length, thereby obtaining a proper spacing of the wires 4, 4: apart.

In the form shown in Figs. 7 to 10, e ch link 9 is first stamped or formed from sheet material in the flat blank "form shown in lFi 10, and has a flat body portion 11 with reduced end extensions 12, 12. Each extension 12 is provided at its outer end with a pair of tongues 13, 13 which when in the blank are in the same plane as the extensions and project outward from opposite sides of the same. In forming the link from the blank, the extensions 12 just inside of the tongues 13, 13 are bulged outward on opposite sides thereof to form grooves or channels 14:, 1 1 which extend crosswise of the link and open on opposite sides thereof. The tongues 13, 13 may at the same time be bent at right-angles to the extensions 12 along the lines of juncture therewith. The pair of tongues at one end of the link are bent to extend on one side thereof, and the pair at the opposite end of the link are bent to extend on the opposite side, as shown in Fi 9. When assembling the links 9 to form a band, the channels 14, ,1-1 at the overlapping ends of the links engage the adj acent wires l which make up the cage body. The tongues 13, 13 on the links areon opposite sides of these wires and extend across the upper and lower edges, respec tively, of the extensions 12, 12 ot' the associated links. The outer ends of the tongues 13, 13 are bent over and clinched against the outer sides of the links, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. and the links are thus locked together with the wires 4 clamped in the channels 14- between them. The bent-over tongues 13 of one link engage or are close to the shoulders 15 at the adjacent end of the wider mid-portion 11 of the adjacent link and thus hold the links from sliding endwise one over the other. vVith the wires 4 between the tongues on adjacent links, the latter are held from sliding outward from each other. Thus the links are held from endwise displacement and, by reason of the outer ends of the tongues being bent down and clinched against the outer sides of adjacent links, the links are clamped tightly against the wires in the manner of a strangle hold and are held from displacement up or down the wires.

The simplest form of link is shown in Figs. 11 and 12. As there illustrated, eack link 16 has a body portion of substantially uniform width throughout its length. Adjacent the opposite ends of the link, the body portion is bulged outward on opposite sides of the link to provide channels or grooves 17, 1". The links are arranged in endwise relation with the end of one link overlapping the end of another and with the channel 17 of one link registering with a similar channel of an adjacent link so as to provide a recess to fit tightly about a cage wire l The overlapping ends of the links are suitably secured together and, when the links are made from sneet' metal, the overlapping ends of the links may be sweated or soldered together. Gn the other hand, when the links are formed from a non-metallic material, like celluloid, he overlapping ends of the links are secured together by a suitable adhesive which is applied to the links and is indicated by 18 in i the drawings. The adhesive used is of a character particularly adaptable for securin g together the material in question and has a certain dissolving action which perfects a very strong bond or union between the overlapping ends of the links.

By making the bands of a number of connected links in accordance with my invention, the bands may be rapidly and cheaply made in a punch press or stamping operation by securing the links together as fast as made. Moreover, by the link formation, the wires are clamped between the overlapping ends or the links as the links are secured together, thereby eliminating the necessity of drilling or punching holes in the links to accommodate the wires. This is a marked improvement in bird-cage manufacture because the wires do not have to be inserted or threaded by hand through holes in the band, as has been the general practice heretofore with one-piece bands which extend about the cage body and have their ends secured together at one side of the cage by soldering, riveting, or otherwise. The links may be formed and secured together with the wires clamped between them in an automatic man nor in a single or a number of continuous machine operations which are fewer in number than those required to make cages with onepiece bands, as heretofore. This greatly reduces the cost of makingbird-cages, as the production is greatly increased at a minimum of expense. By the use of adjustable dies, links of various lengths may be made and clamped about the wires in an automatic manner, the links being in keeping with the distances that the wires are to be spaced apart.

A band made up of these links is much stronger and more rigid and firmer than the one-piece band as heretofore used, due to the strength imparted by the increase of mate rial at the overlapping ends of the links. Thus the latter will hold the birdcage more rigid and effectively resist any tendency to distort the wires by pressures either from within or from without the cage. Moreover, the bulged portions of the links give a knotted eft'ect at the wires and also give an ornamental appearance to the band. Furthermore, the channels or grooves in the links for the wires provide relatively long seats therefor and so increase the frictional contact between the wires and the links that the latter are effectively held from pulling out of the links.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A bird-cage body having wires and a carrying band therefor, said band consisting of a multiplicity of links arranged in end to end relation, the ends of the links being secured together with the wires clamped between them.

2. A bird-cage body having wires and a carrying band therefor, said band being composed of a multiplicity of links arranged with their ends in overlapping relation with the wires between them, said links having grooves to receive the wires, and means for securing the overlapping ends of the links together and about the wires with the latter in said groove.

3. A bird-cage body having wires and a carrying band therefor, said band being composed of a multiplicity of links arranged with their ends in overlapping relation with the wires between them, said links having grooves to receive the wires, and tongues on the links for securing the same together and clamping the links against the wires with the latter in said grooves.

4:. A bird-cage body having wires and a carrying band therefor, said band being composed of a multiplicity of links arranged with their ends in overlapping relation with the wires between them, said links having grooves to receive the wires, said links having tongues and apertures therefor with the tongues extending through the apertures and riveted against the outer sides of the links for securing the links together and clamping them against the wires with the latter in said grooves.

5. A link of the character described having a relatively fiat body portion, laterally projecting tongues at the opposite ends of the links and extending on opposite sides thereof, said body portion being provided adjacent the tongues with outwardly bulged parts providing channels or grooves on opposite sides of the link, said body portion having apertures inside of the grooves to receive the tongues of adjacent links.

6. A band of the character described, com posed of a multiplicity of links arranged in a row with their ends in overlapping relation, said links having tongues and apertures adjacent the ends of the links with the tongues extending through the apertures of adjacent links and riveted on the outside thereof for securing the links together.

7. A link of the character described, tongues formed integral with the link at. the opposite ends thereof and bent to extend on opposite sides of the link, and outwardly bulged portions on the link inside of the tongue to provide grooves adjacent the tongues.

8. An assembly of the character described consisting of a structural band and crossmembers crossing the band at spaced intervals, said band comprising a multiplicity of links arranged in end to end relation and having their ends rigidly secured together with the cross-members clamped between them to provide a rigid structure of crossmembers and links.

9. An assembly of the character described consisting of a structural band and crossmembers crossing the band at spaced intervals, said band comprising a multiplicity of links arranged with their ends in overlapping relation with the cross-members be tween them, and means for rigidly securing the overlapping ends of the links together and clamping the cross'members between them to provide a rigid structure of crossmembers and links.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LEWIGKI J. LEON. 

